Lions vs. Cowboys: 7 Things We Learned from Dallas' 34-30 Loss

Want to know how to sum up the Cowboys season after losing 34-30 to the Lions? It’s the fourth quarter in Dallas, and it's fourth down with time running off of the clock. Tony Romo finds running back Felix Jones, and instead of Felix realizing that it's fourth down, he runs out of bounds to end the game for Dallas.

Game. Set. Match. Lions.

The Dallas Cowboys were outscored 31-3 in the second half, and Romo threw three interceptions, with two turning into touchdowns. Receiver Dez Bryant had two first-half touchdowns but went missing in the second half. Jason Garrett rode the Felix Jones horse in the first half but forgot about him when the Cowboys lead started to slip away. Jones had a total of 16 carries, but only six in the second half.

To Garrett’s credit, he did utilize DeMarco Murray and Tashard Choice more in the second half, but it all seemed to come on a drive in the third quarter while Dallas still had a 10-point lead.

Still, it was all for naught, as Romo threw three crucial interceptions and the Lions were able to charge their way back after being down 27-3 early in the third quarter.

We learned a lot about this Cowboys team on Sunday afternoon, but most of all, we may have found out all we need to know about the Cowboys quarterback. He just may not be the one to lead Dallas to the promised land.

Here are seven things we learned about the Cowboys on Sunday.

Tony Romo Didn’t Choke

My definition of a choker is someone like Donovan McNabb. I love McNabb, and for the longest time, he was my favorite NFL player. But with the game on the line in the Super Bowl against the Pats, he lost his Campbell’s soup in the huddle and was too nervous to perform well. That’s my definition of a choker.

Romo doesn’t seem to get nervous or play as if the moment is bigger than him. He tries to do too much and ends up making a bad decision based off excitement and energy, not due to a stomach full of butterflies and mouth full of saliva.

I’m not defending his interceptions one bit, but I do not believe that Mr. Romo is a choker. He’s also still the Cowboys' best hope to win a Super Bowl.

Tony Romo May Not Be the Guy

I think the question is legit now. How much longer will Jerry Jones wait for Romo to show that he’s the guy to win Dallas a Super Bowl?

The Cowboys were cruising at 27-3 with Detroit on the ropes. The offensive line was handling Ndamukong Suh, and Laurent Robinson seemed to be the best Cowboys receiver on the field. Romo had three touchdowns and was having his best game of the season.

Then the curse of Romo kicked in. With Dallas up, he seemed to take more chances, and that’s when the turnovers started. It seems that whenever Tony starts turning the ball over, things just start going downhill and the team can’t stop the bleeding.

Romo can’t continue this type of play if Dallas has any shot at the playoffs, and with teams like Washington and New York playing well, the Cowboys' game against the Patriots just got that much more important.

Cowboys Defense Is Leaky

When it counted and the Cowboys defense needed to make a play, they didn’t. When DeMarcus Ware or Anthony Spencer needed to come up with a sack, they didn’t, and when Mike Jenkins or Terence Newman needed to bat a ball away, they couldn’t.

The so-called clutch gene is always stated to be missing when it comes to Romo, but from my eyes, it seems as if the Cowboys defense let the team down as well. Romo’s three interceptions didn’t help, but one play to stop the Lions momentum or a sack or third-down stop was needed, and the defense couldn’t do it.

It was also questionable for Rob Ryan to leave Newman singled up on Calvin Johnson with Detroit on the 2-yard line. It seemed that the fade route was obvious in that situation, and with Newman having to handle Megatron alone, Johnson took advantage and scored a touchdown.

Dallas is still learning Ryan’s scheme, and some players are going to be further ahead of others, but after the bye week, Dallas can never have another performance as bad as this one.

Dallas Is Second-Worst Team in NFC East

The downfall happens fast, doesn’t it? The Cowboys go from first to almost worst in a matter of a week.

I was never one to jump on the Eagles bandwagon, and their loss to the Niners at home today was just as bad as the Cowboys failure against the Lions, but we’ll stay on Dallas here. The Cowboys have a long two weeks ahead of them, as they are off next week and then travel to New England to face an offensive juggernaut in Tom Brady and the Patriots.

Dallas beat the Redskins by the skin of their teeth last week, but as of right now, at least based on records, the ‘Skins are better than Dallas as well as the Giants.

The Cowboys will have a hard time stopping the bleeding against the Patriots, but if not, their playoff hopes may go out the window.

Jason Garrett Can Call a Good Game

I had no issue with Garrett’s play-calling against the Lions. He got the ball out of Tony’s hands fast to make sure Romo didn’t face big hits from the Lions defensive line.

He fed Felix the ball early and got him out on a couple of short passes. He utilized some creative play-calling with Robinson and tight end screens to protect Romo and the offensive line. It worked early, and it worked well in leading Dallas to a 27-3 lead.

I do give Garrett the side eye for his use of the running game in the second half as the Cowboys' lead started to slip away.

My thought is that he may have to use Romo the way he used Jon Kitna last season when Tony got injured. Use the running game as much as possible and don’t allow Tony to get above 40 pass attempts per game.

Dez Bryant Disappears in the Second Half

Bryant had a great first half with two touchdowns. He seemed to be headed towards a great overall game, but then the second half arrived.

He disappeared and was held to only one catch in the last two quarters. Bryant was targeted five times, with one catch being intercepted by the other side.

Bryant will have to play better in the second halves of ballgames to give Dallas a better chance at victory.

Laurent Robinson May Be Team’s New Slot Receiver

That may be a little bit of a stretch, but Robinson showed himself well on Sunday. After so many issues with receivers last week against the Redskins, Robinson stepped his game up against the Lions to finish with seven catches for 116 yards.

Kevin Ogletree was due to step into that position this season, but so far, he’s been a disappointment, as he has shown that he doesn’t know the offense and runs the wrong routes.

Robinson was everywhere today, and Tony found him. He was targeted on Romo’s second interception and could have fought more for the ball, but all in all, he had a great game.

Cowboys Bye Week Next, Face Pats in Two Weeks

The Cowboys have a bye week next week, and it should be a long two weeks for Dallas to get over this one. Rob Ryan will need plenty of time to get ready for Tom Brady and Wes Welker.

Check out my previous articles on the Cowboys:

Dallas Cowboys Report Card: Handing out Grades for Every Week 3 Starter

Cowboys vs. Redskins: 8 Things We Learned from Dallas' 18-16 Win